Metal roof for freight cars



C. BLATCHFORD METAL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed May 14,

July 1 1924.

Patented July l, 1924.

UNITED STATES CARTER BLATGHFORD,

or CHICAGO, iLLINoIs.

i METAL ROOF FR IERE'JGEB'.lyCARS.k

`Application led May 14, 19,23. Serial No. 638,841.

i' o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CARTER BLATCHFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented new and useful .Improvements in Metal Roofs for Freight Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in roots and more particularly to metal roofs 'for freight cars.

@ne of the objects of the invention 1s to provide a metallic roof for freight cars composed of light gage metallic dieets rigidly secured together which is supported by a rootl framing so that the light gage metal sheets are relieved of the stresses dueto the torsional and weaving movements of 'the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a root composed of aplurality of metal sheets supported at frequent intervals so that light gage material can be'used.

Another object of this invention is to provide a metallic roof for freight cars composed ot a plurality of sheets secured tov gether and to their supporting `carlines which sheets and carlines can be assembled and installed on the car as a unitary member. Y i

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a portion of a freight car roof in accordance with this invention, lwith parts of the root framing broken away. i

Fig. 2 is a section. taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4f is a view in side elevation of Fig. l.

5 is a detail view corresponding to Fig. 4 ot that portion where the edges of the root sheets meet and shows the chair supp-ortingthe roof sheets at this point. A

In this embodiment of the invention the side plates vl are in the form of Z bars with carlines,

of the roof sheets are provided with upstanding flanges 5 which are covered by seam caps 6 in the form of an inverted U having outstanding fianges resting on the body ot the roof sheets and secured to the roof sheetsr by a series of horizontal rivets 7 passing through the capand abutting flanges.

The roof sheets rest. upon the carlines at the ridge and upon the purlins between the ridge and cave. To support the eave end of y the roof sheet between the carlines, I have provided plate 8J which extends the length of the car and rests'upon the ends of the carlines. may be used. However, in the form shown,

Any convenient form of carline the carlines are of channel shape with the f web cut away at the end in line with the web of the side plate andthe anges are bent downwardlyy and riveted to the web of the side plate. The eave supporting plate 8 of the roof sheets is riveted to the kupper iiange of the kcarlines and extends outwardly there from. The root sheets are extended beyond the supporting plate and are benty downwardly over the edge to a distance belowthey upper flange ot the side plate. n

The flanges 5 of theroof sheets are cut awayiadjacent the outer edge of the supporting plate and the top of the seam cap 6 is tapered or merged into the plane of its Hanges to cover t-he ends ofthe root sheet flanges 5 and the seam cap flange ,is then bent downwardly over the depending por` tions of the roof sheets, as shown in Figs. 1

and 3, to form a water tight closure for the seam. The seam of the roof sheets is placed substantially midway between the carlines and chairs 9 are provided between the top of the side plate and supporting plate 8 to strengthen or form additional sup-port for the roof sheet (and the supporting plate) under the roof seam. o

The carlines are spacedsubstantially midway between the seams of the adjacent roof i sheets and rest upon and are secured to the The roof sheets side plates atl their ends. are further supported by the rigidifying seam caps which extend from eave to eave andare themselves supported at the side plates by the chairs. This combination and construction permits of the use of light gage metallic roof sheets because they are ref lieved of the stresses due to the torsional and weaving movements of the car, and Jif'urthermore, the span of the roof sheets between supports is very small.

This is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 20A-35, tiled October E29, 1920.

I claim:

In Ya railway cai having side plates,` o1a a metallic roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets spaced apart from said side plates and extending transversely across the car, seam caps positioned above and Connecting the adjacent root sheets, supporting plates "positioned over said. side plat-es and supporting vsaicl i'oo'f slieetsfchaii's supporting the ioof sheets1 seam caps and supportiii 0' plates iipoii the side plate, lcarlines passing alongA ARTER BLATCHFORD Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certilied that in Letters Patent No. 1,499,337, granted July l, 1924, upon the application of Carter Blatchford, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement in Metal Roofs for Freight Cars, an error appears in the printed speciieation requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 11, claim, after the Word over insert the Words md spaced from; and that the said Letters Patent Should he read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice.

Signed and `sealed this 19th day of August, A. D. 1924.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commission-e7' of Patents. 

